I Can’t, I Just Can’t
by jaymaster2000
Summary: It’s a normal Friday night, except that Cat Noir is late. Marinette’s starting to get pissed, but when he gets there she can’t be angry with him. Something terrible just happened.


Marinette was getting impatient. Where was he? He should've been here by now. Cat Noir was 30 minutes late. Seriously, she had been looking forward to this all week and she was being stopped now by him not showing up? It was really annoying.

She heard a knock on her roof door. She had some things to say to him. Keeping her waiting like that, it was incredibly rude. But when she opened the door anger was the farthest thought from her mind.

Cat Noir was really hurt. He seemed to barely be able to hold himself up, and he was bruised and bloody all over. It was like he had been through hell. He had a massive cut over the right side of his face, and it looked like someone had hit him over and over. His suit was a mess with blood and glass and tattered fabric all over it. She couldn't quite tell, but it looked like he even might've had a cracked rib or two. But the worst thing about it was his eyes. They looked simultaneously shattered and wild. They were darting everywhere, as if whatever did this to him could be around every corner. But deeper than that he looked like his world had been turned upside down and it couldn't ever go back to what it was.

What could've happened? It must've been some kind of akuma attack. Usually they were loud and big so they both would hear about it and be on the scene within minutes. But this time it must've been quieter, more subtle. She should've been there, to help him, to stop this from happe-

His eyes landed on her. "Marinette," his voice broke her heart. He was so afraid, no more like terrified. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he slowly fell forward before he could. She quickly rushed forward to catch him.

"Shh, shh it's okay. You're safe here. Calm down." It took her a few seconds to realize he was crying. Something was seriously wrong. An akuma was just a normal person under Hawkmoth's control, they both understood that whatever the akuma did it wasn't on purpose. So what could've happen to him? Just yesterday she saw her lovable, cheery, happy partner both as Ladybug and Marinette and now she was holding this sad, terrified, broken boy.

She did her best to carry him to her bed, but he stopped her before she could get there. "No, Marinette I can't stay."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. You're hurt, you need help."

"M, listen to me, you don't understand. I-I just can't stay here for too long or, or he'll find me and I would never forgive myself if I put you in danger." He? Who was he?

"Kitty, calm down, you're scaring me. Listen, just stay here, I'll go get a first aid kit."

"Marinette, I NEED to go. I only came with you to ask you to come with me."

"Wait, what?? Come with you? Where? Why? Kitty, I need you to tell me what happened."

"Marinette I can't stay here. T-too much just happened. I need to leave Paris, at least for a little while. It… it hurts too much to stay here."

"Cat Noir, you need to tell me what's going on here. I want to help you, but I can't if I don't even know what's going on."

Cat Noir's eyes looked around for a moment, as if to make sure someone wasn't watching them even though they were only in Marinette's room. "I found out who Hawkmoth was."

Marinette gasped. So that must've been where he had gotten his injuries from. She should've been there to help him. "You did? Who is he? What happened?"

"I-I can't tell you," he said, casting his eyes downward.

Can't tell her? Why? "Cat Noir, this is the man who's been turning everyone in Paris into super villains, who's been ruining people's lives, who... who hurt you. I need you to tell me and then tell Ladybug who he is so you two can stop him."

"You don't understand!" Cat Noir yelled as he suddenly jolted up. "Marinette, I can't. I just can't. Who he is... It changed everything. I can't fight him. I just can't. And that's why I need to leave. Everything here is so wrong, and volatile, and, and, and," he said struggling for words, "suffocating. I can't make myself stay, it'd hurt too much."

Marinette didn't know what to say. He was so scared and in so much pain. She didn't realize until it was already happening that she was slowly edging towards him and cupping his face in her hands. She knew what she had to ask. "Who are you?"

Cat Noir slowly turned his face, unwilling to tell. He wanted to tell her, wanted to tell her more than anything. But if he did that now, Ladybug may never forgive him. Even so, he knew that when she asked again, he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Just looking into those bluebell eyes, full of sadness, and pity, and something else, he couldn't stop himself. He'd tell her whatever she wanted and not regret a thing.

"I'm sorry," Marinette said as he turned away. Right now, she regretted keeping their identities secret more than she had ever regretted anything. She desperately wanted to know who he was, so she could calm him and soothe him. She would stroke his hair while his head was in her lap, calling him by his real name and telling him that everything would be okay.

"But Cat Noir what about Paris? The city needs you, Ladybug needs you." _I need you,_ she wanted to say.

"Ladybug can take care of Paris by herself, I know she can do it. And if she needs help Rena Rouge or some other superhero will show up. But not me. I can't just stay here and keep going on like this. I can't," he said, his voice breaking and tears in his eyes.

"Marinette, I need you to come with me. I need someone to help me sort through this mess that's become my life. I can't do it alone. I'm afraid… I'm afraid of what I might do if I did. I promise to explain everything once we're gone. I'll tell you what happened, who Hawkmoth is, who I am. Anything you want to know. Marinette, I need you. I can't do this alone."

Marinette was torn. On one hand she was Ladybug and if Cat Noir was gone who would protect Paris. But this was her partner and friend. He was asking her for help and she could tell he needed it. She couldn't let him go all alone. And it's not like they'd be gone forever. She knew that Paris was as much a part of Cat Noir as it was for her. At some point they'd both need to come back. Paris might not have it's two superheroes for a little, but it still had a guardian. Master Fu would make sure that Paris was safe. She was sure of it.

So she made the only choice she could. She got a bag and filled it with everything she would need. Clothes, some food, her sewing stuff, a first aid kit. She made sure not to be out of Cat Noir's line of sight just in case Tikki tried to talk her out of it. She wouldn't understand.

Soon they were on her roof. Cat Noir was holding her in his arms, about to leave Paris with her for who knows how long. "Are you sure you'll be able to carry me while you're so hurt?"

"Don't worry about it, Princess. I got you I won't let you fall." Then he jumped and Marinette held on to him tighter. She wouldn't be leaving Paris forever, just for a little while. Things would be okay. She knew they would.

She nestled her head into his arms and thought, despite whatever was going to happen, she wouldn't regret this.


End file.
